Pre-Pre-Pre-NSchool advice and a question.

[Toshira]

Hi there.

Well, after 35 years of life, I've decided technical writing isn't the career for me. I want a job where I can feel that I've been hands-on helpful and also allows a lot of human interaction.

It's been over ten years since I've attended school, and after reading about the struggles associated with getting in to school at all, I'm tempted to try to find some pre-nursing job that might give me a flavor for a career as a nurse. I have a Bachelor's in English with a solid technical background (but I'm sure I'll need to take a lot of pre-reqs since it's been so long). Any ideas on jobs to pursue while I begin this whole process?

One more question...if the demand for nurses is rising so tremendously, how can acceptance at a school be so difficult? Is it just that people are seeking to become nurses at a rate faster than new programs have opened up?

Thanks for any insights, and good luck to all of you who are still waiting to hear back from schools.

[itsinthegenes]

Hi,

I am not sure about most of the answers to your questions, but I have just applied for nursing at 28. I studied a BSc and Masters in genetics, worked in sales, was a stay at home mom, and now applied! I opted for a graduate entry doctor of nursing program, which is an accelerated 18 credit per semester program for the pre-licensure and aims for you to have an MSN in 3 and a half years full time and DNP within 4 and half years.

I have no nursing experience, and had not done any pre-reqs when I applied. The school was very helpful, and I am registered for pre-reqs this fall and aim to start the program in fall 2009. The school have asked that I shadow an advanced practice nurse while doing my pre-reqs. They seemed to appreciate the other experience I have. Even if accepted I obviously need to score appropriately on my pre-reqs before admission. I am not sure if it worked differently because it was a graduate entry program though.

I would recommend calling up a few admissions offices and finding out what they require. I applied to only Case Western Reserve University and they were extremely helpful setting me on the right course, helping me sort the tests I need to do. Yes grades are very important, but so is personality, desire to be a nurse and understanding of the job. My GPA is 3.59 (apparently) but I did not even know that when I applied as in the UK we do not have a GPA system! If your heart is in it, it would probably help to speak to those in the know, then do the pre-reqs and get any experience along the way!

[itsa307]

I would suggest a job in a doctors office or hospital where you can be around the medical jobs but doing clerical or maybe learning medical assistant duties. Some doctor's offices do on the job training for medical assistants. Many hospitals offer tution reimbursement for employees also. From what I understand is soo hard to get into programs because nursing teachers are in high demand and hard to come by. Good Luck!

[amjowens]

I was in biology, and did the whole traditional route of college. I'm 30, and decided 2 years ago to become a nurse. I took all of my pre-req courses over two years at a community college (smarter this time around, and actually some better instructors than at my four-year college!). There's a shortage of nurses, which leads to a shortage of nursing instructors. Also, as for med school, they're not going to lower the requirements just because of the need for nurses. It would be nice to have more instructors for those qualified students so to open more seats, I think everyone agrees.

I want to be a nurse practitioner. I made some tough (and humbling decisions) toward my path to get there. I looked into accelerated programs, but the reviews aren't great regarding outcomes (student experiences and then reputation when graduating without nursing first). It didn't make sense for me, either, since I don't have a lot of health care experience. Also, I want to maintain my lifestyle, and not live like I'm 20 for four arduous years. So, I thought, nursing offers the step-by-step route (unlike any profession I know), why not take advantage of it? And the humbling part (as ambition to be a nurse practitioner), I enrolled in a one year LPN program. I'm half through, have a 4.0 GPA (along with all my prereqs), and have had INCREDIBLE clinical experiences, along with meeting wonderful people. I begin my RN in Jan '09, and expect that to be full of learning/life experiences just as this program is proving to be. I'm expecting to earn a nice salary as a nurse while in school, likely have tuition reimbursement when I do have my LPN in Dec., and most importantly, will have gained the wisdom that practicing as a nurse brings.

It wasn't long ago that I felt overwhelmed by requirements/apparent acceptance limitations, etc. I just took the steps and things are working out far beyond my plans/dreams. I'm so thankful and feel really blessed.

And, I don't mean to say the accelerated Masters' program isn't the way to go. It's obviously an option for a reason, but even though I had the grades and pre-reqs for acceptance, I feel extremely thankful to be on the path I've chosen. Good luck to you with yours!

[amjowens]

I want to add, about your desire for experience...if I went based on my (short) experience as a nurse aide, I'd NEVER want to be a nurse! I did love the part about potentially making a difference in someone's life and the interactions had, but I knew that BEFORE I did that job!

I recommend shadowing/somehow getting to know a nurse who's practicing in a way you might see yourself wanting. I'm feel like a jerk saying this (and might just be?!), but most entry-level health care jobs don't allow for making a great deal of positive change or doing more than scut work. It can be a downer, if anything. So, though it might give you some valuable experience toward basic patient interaction, etc., it isn't necessarily a portrait of what nursing offers.